1st September 2006

Two stories in today’s media are linked the first is a report on a statement by Tony Blair in which he states that we can clamp down on anti social children before birth and the second relates to expectant mothers in Wales who have one of the highest rates of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking during pregnancy results in Foetal Alcohol Syndrome or alcohol related brain damage and it is these poor children who, as they grow up, exhibit behavioural problems. At present to treat these behavioural problems they are put on Ritalin which in fact will compound their problems and lead them into dependency at an early age. It is all an horrific merry-go-round. Treatment could be on the way to help these young children and Castle Craig is investigating it.

Again more emphasis on drug deaths from cocaine in the Scotsman. Apparently one in seven drug related deaths now involves cocaine and experts have predicted that cocaine could overtake heroin as Scotland’s main problem drug within five years.